April 2025. Ba Khe, near the village of Cát Thịnh, Yên Bái Province, Vietnam. I am exploring the old Route Coloniale 13 west of Yen Bai, retracing the ground fought over during the October 1951 battle for Nghĩa Lộ. This is steep, broken country. The road winds through narrow valleys, overlooked by sharply rising hills, with restricted movement corridors and very little room to manoeuvre once committed.
April 2025. Nà Sản, Vietnam. Our next stop was at the old fortified ‘hedgehog’ of Nà Sản, just east of Son La. The French and Viet Minh fought a massive battle here in late 1952, the outcome of which convinced the French that holding a remote airbase and using superior French firepower to defeat enemy attacks was a valid strategy. Dien Bien Phu says – “Hold my beer!”
April 2025. Tu Lê Valley, Yên Bái Province, Vietnam. I am exploring the site of Major Marcel Bigeard and 6e Bataillon Colonial de Parachutistes (6e BPC) epic stand and fighting withdrawal from Tu Lê in October 1952. In my personal collection, I have a 6e BPC paratroopers beret, so I brought it back here to this famous valley.
Across the Long Tan battlefield, there is very little apparent relief in the terrain. The ground is largely flat and agricultural, with sections planted in rubber trees at varying stages of growth or left fallow.
August 2015, Long Tan Rubber Plantation, Baria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam. I am standing at the Long Tan Cross memorial to the 18 Australian soldiers killed here during the Battle of Long Tan, 18 August 1966.
Across the Long Tan battlefield, there is very little apparent relief in the terrain. The ground is largely flat and agricultural, with sections planted in rubber trees at varying stages of growth or left fallow.
Modern warfare, as seen on the Eastern Front, is defined by fragile logistics, pervasive drone use, and small, decentralised teams operating with limited support, which forces junior leaders to make rapid decisions under extreme uncertainty. Success depends on cognitive skills over technology, including disciplined situational awareness, procedural identification, adaptive leadership, and the ability to operate independently without reliable resupply, evacuation, or higher command control.